With the advance of computer networking, there is a need to connect larger numbers of computing devices. Switches are normally used to connect computing devices, and when a large number of computing devices need to be connected to each other, large switches are utilized.
Director-class switches are used at the center of very large switched fabrics. Such director-class switches are formed of a large number of leaf boards which include ports for connecting to external equipment and spine boards which connect the leaf boards to each other within the director-class switch. In the prior art, director-class switches include a printed circuit board (PCB) backplane connecting the leaf and spine boards.
It is desirable to increase the number of ports serviced by a director-class switch. The manufacture of large switches which interconnect hundreds of ports, such that each port is connected to a large group of the other ports, is, however, a demanding task.
US patent publication 2014/0056174 to Walden et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes connecting intelligent service modules external to a director-level switch, in order to avoid consuming the limited number of ports in a director-level switch.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,504,841 to Larson et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes a scalable computer interconnect using flexible ribbon cable connection.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,706,361 to McMillen et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes a multistage interconnect network in which signal wires are grouped into multiconductor cables to minimize the number of handled cables.